Rapper D4vd arrested after teen girl found dead in his Tesla – what we know so far

Rapper D4vd has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was found in his Tesla vehicle.

The LAPD detained the artist, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, on Thursday (16 April) and denied bail.

D4vd is a New York-born singer-songwriter best known for his viral single 'Here With Me', which rose to prominence on TikTok, alongside his 2022 track 'Romantic Homicide'. Both songs have amassed over one billion streams on Spotify.

D4vd was on his 'Withered' world tour and performed in Wisconsin on the same day the discovery was made.

Police responded to reports of a foul odour coming from the abandoned vehicle in Hollywood Hills. Rivas Hernandez, who was 13 at the time, went missing in 2024 from her home in Lake Elsinore, California.

On 8 September, her decomposed body was found wrapped in plastic in the boot of a Tesla Model Y registered to D4vd.

"Upon removing the cadaver bag from the front storage compartment, it was discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body," a court document read. "A second black bag was discovered underneath the cadaver bag. Upon opening the second bag, the dismembered body parts were discovered."

D4vd's lawyers issued a statement saying they would "vigorously defend" his "innocence".

"Let us be clear – the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death," his lawyers shared in a widely reported statement.

They added: "There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion."

A tribute from Rivas Hernandez's family, alongside an online fundraiser, read: "She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss."

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